Performance Improvement during Attitude Motion of a Vehicle Using Aerodynamic-Surface-Based Anti-Jerk Predictive Controller

Abstract

This study presents the effectiveness of an anti-jerk predictive controller (AJPC) based on active aerodynamic surfaces to handle upcoming road maneuvers and enhance vehicle ride quality by mitigating external jerks operating on the body of the vehicle. In order to eliminate body jerk and improve ride comfort and road holding during turning, accelerating, or braking, the proposed control approach assists the vehicle in tracking the desired attitude position and achieving a realistic operation of the active aerodynamic surface. Vehicle speed and upcoming road data are used to calculate the desired attitude (roll or pitch) angles. The simulation results are performed for AJPC and predictive control strategies without jerk using MATLAB. The simulation results and comparison based on root-mean-square (rms) values show that compared to the predictive control strategy without jerk, the proposed control strategy significantly reduces the effects of vehicle body jerks transmitted to the passengers, improving ride comfort without degrading vehicle handling at the cost of slow desired angle tracking.